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Commercial-scale production of bio-based BDO announced

Genomatica (San Diego, Calif.; www.genomatica.com) and DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Co., (DT&L; Loudon, Tenn.; www.duponttateandlyle.com) announced the first successful commercial-scale production of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) using a bio-based manufacturing process.  BDO is an intermediate chemical used in a wide…

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SensoTech opens subsidiary in the U.S.  

The SensoTech GmbH (Magdeburg–Barleben, Germany; www.sensotech.com) extends its market presence in North America with a new U.S. subsidiary and thereby reinforces significantly its globally networked team of sales and service staff. As a subsidiary of the German SensoTech GmbH, SensoTech…

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Neste Jacobs to deliver an isomerization unit to Neste Oil at Porvoo refinery  

Neste Jacobs Oy (Porvoo, Finland; www.nestejacobs.com) will deliver engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services to construction of an isomerization unit at Neste Oil Porvoo petroleum refinery. The investment, valued at approximately €65 million, is intended to increase the output…

Wholesale chemistry sales rose in December in the U.S., ACC report says

Sales of chemical products at the wholesale level in the U.S. rose 1.2% to $10.3 billion in December 2012 according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau that was discussed in the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the…

Smaller, local transactions drive drive global chemicals M&A activity, PwC says

While merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global chemicals sector rose slightly in 2012 due to an increase in smaller acquisitions, continued uncertainty around the state of the global economy probably constrained growth and contributed to a decrease in…

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Fluor construction-management project underway for new biotech facility in Georgia  

Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.fluor.com) says it is currently performing early construction management services for Baxter International Inc.’s (Deerfield, Ill.; www.baxter.com) new biotechnology facility near Covington, Georgia, about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta. Mass excavation and earth works are underway…

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KBR to provide Purifier technology package for ammonia/urea plant in Indonesia  

KBR (Houston; www.kbr.com) says it was selected by PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang, to provide licensing, engineering services and proprietary equipment for a new 2,000 metric tons (m.t.) per day ammonia and 2,750-m.t./d urea plant located in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.…

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Air Liquide invests €65 million in the Port of Rotterdam  

Rotterdam is the second largest chemical and petrochemical basin in Europe. This industry has maintained its momentum, despite the crisis, across Western Europe, with dynamic players demonstrating sustained demand for industrial gases. In this context, AirLiquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) will…

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Wacker opens new dispersions plant in South Korea  

Today, Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany; www.wacker.com) officially launched its new production plant for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 metric tons (m.t.) from the second reactor line increases the site’s…

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Shell captures CO2 with MAN integrally-geared centrifugal compressor  

MAN Diesel & Turbo (MDT; Berlin, Germany; www.mandieselturbo.com) is providing the compressor technology for Shell Canada’s Quest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project, located in Alberta, Canada. Quest will be the world’s first commercial-scale CCS project to tackle carbon emissions…